Kickstart: Protecting the people who sort most of the world’s recycled plastics

Protecting the people who sort most of the world’s recycled plastics An estimated 20 million people worldwide are “waste pickers,” collecting a staggering 60 percent of post-consumer plastics, according to one estimate.

The Circulate Initiative, a business-backed group targeting plastic pollution in emerging markets, says it’s time for a framework on ethical working conditions for these global waste pickers.

The group, which counts Dow Inc. and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste among its partners, launched its Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework for Recycled Plastics on May 30 and called on global brands and others to “respect the rights of informal waste sector workers and waste pickers” in recycled plastic supply chains.